Eastman School students Debra McKinney, Marielle Murphy, and Rebecca Farley were named the winners of this year’s Friends of Eastman Opera voice competition, held Nov. 21 as part of the first-ever celebration of National Opera Week. Read more ...

Thelion Society Members Proven Pros at Quiz Bowl

Thelion Society members (from left) Mario Morales, Benjamin Seitelman, and Bill Finan won first place at the 2009 TRASH Canadian Regional
Tournament at the University of Toronto last month. The quiz bowl
competition focuses on pop culture topics like sports, movies, and
music. The Rochester team went 12-0 in the tournament and qualified for
the national competition in April. Seitelman also took MVP honors,
scoring more than 80 points per game. The complete list of tournament
standings is available online.

Student Bus Transportation Offered to Campus

Motor coach transportation is available for 2010 school breaks. The bus returns to the University from New England and New York City areas after winter break on Jan. 12. If you are interested in this opportunity for your son or daughter, e-mail Betsy Kirschbaum no later than Jan. 4.

Rochester Students Win in Global Innovation Tournament
A team of Rochester students is among the 22 winners of the Global Innovation Tournament, part of Global Entrepreneurship Week. Teams had eight days to create a three-minute video that addresses the competition's 2009 challenge: “Make Saving
Money Fun.” Rochester's winning entry, “PassThePigOrg,” was created by Jennifer Burger '10, Justin Peczkowski '10 (MS), Elaina Stover
'10 (Take 5), Eric Wisch '10 (KEY) and Dan (Eva) Xie '10. Nearly 1,000 submissions from 31 countries were entered in this year's competition. Read more...

Eastman Student Tops in Percussion in Paris

Tomasz Arnold, a freshman percussion major at the Eastman School, won first prize in Category 1 of the International Marimba Competition in Paris on Nov. 29. He was one of only three percussionists to make it through to the finals in the three-round competition, held during the annual “perKumania” International Percussion Festival. Arnold is from Krakow, where he studied at the Frederic Chopin School of Music. Read more ...

19 Students Receive Iota Book Award

Phi Beta Kappa's Iota Chapter, the University's oldest honor society,
recognized 19 sophomores for their scholarly achievement, demonstration
of humanistic values, and involvement in cocurricular activities during
their first year at Rochester. See the list of recipients.

Parents Can Sign up for Security Notices

University Security Services has a notification listserv that provides
timely messages via e-mail about security issues affecting the
University community. Parents can sign up to receive these notices to stay informed about the safety measures practiced by University Security Services.

A Unique View of Kodak Hall

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle created a 360-degree view of Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. It’s part of the newspaper’s online multimedia series “Round Rochester” and includes music being performed in rehearsal by the Eastman School’s Philharmonia under conductor Neil Varon and interviews with Eastman School faculty members Varon and Mark Kellogg.

New Tutoring Program Launches

A new program pairs undergraduates with kids in the Rochester City School District. “The greatest aspect of UReading is that I’m learning
the dynamics of a classroom, working directly with teachers to build a
curriculum and assess what works and what doesn’t work with each lesson
plan,” says Jennelle Rhodes ’11. Read more ...

CAREERS

P.S. I Love You: Advice for Parents

With the financial burdens of higher education expanding and economies worldwide shrinking, issues of supporting your student’s future become more challenging. Career Center director Burt Nadler shares some insights that he hopes will have a long-term positive impact on your sons and daughters. Read more...

Networking Nights

In early January, during winter break, the Office of Alumni Relations and the Career Center are providing Student-Alumni Networking Nights in New York City, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Select parents and alumni will serve as advisors at informal receptions and are ready to share their experiences and insight with your son or daughter. Ranging from recent graduates to senior executives in a breadth of career fields, the volunteers help guide students and answer their questions. For more information and to register, go to www.rochester.edu/alumnievents.

Career Advisory Network Launches Next Month

The Rochester Career Advisory Network offers guidance and information from nearly 11,000 alumni from across the University.Through the network, students can find volunteers with knowledge or experience in line with their questions about industries, jobs, relocating, graduate school, and internship and job-search strategies. January will mark the public launch of the network but students can get a head start now by e-mailing Burt Nadler or calling the Career Center, (585) 275-2366.

Have a question for the Career Center?

Parents are invited to send their questions to the Career Center staff, who will respond in future issues of Parents Buzz.

FRATERNITIES AND SORORITIES

A Parent’s Guide to Recruitment

Fraternity and sorority membership offers opportunities for friendship, professional and personal development, leadership on campus and in the community, and greater connection to Rochester. Fraternity and Sorority Affairs offers some information on the recruitment process and how you as a parent can best support your son or daughter through the experience. Read more ...

MAKING HEADLINES

'Powerful Laser Simulates Stellar Jet'

MSNBC (Nov. 25)
Astrophysicists no longer sit and idly wonder what happens when a powerful stellar jet from a young star collides with giant clouds of gas and dust. They first watch what happens hundreds of light years away and then recreate the cosmic event with a multi-trillion-watt laser capable of delivering more power than exists in the entire U.S. power grid. A recent experiment with the Omega laser at the University of Rochester did just that.

Eastman New Venture Challenge Makes New York Times List

Eastman School’s New Venture Challenge, a competition that funds student entrepreneurial projects, was listed in the New York Times guide to business competitions. Winners get seed money and advisory support from the Institute for Music Leadership to develop their proposals, which can include ideas such as new products, events, or launching a music-related company or non-profit.

More Online

Want to see more news coverage about the University of Rochester? Monthly roundups of Rochester in the news are available online.

About Parents Buzz

Parents Buzz is produced by University Communications, Parent Relations, and the Parents Program. It is e-mailed monthly to parents of undergraduates in the College and at the Eastman School of Music. View issues online at www.rochester.edu/parentsbuzz. Direct feedback and questions to parentsbuzz@rochester.edu.

Parents of current College and Eastman students, as members of the University community, are regularly invited to regional alumni programs. Visit the regional calendar for details and registration information.